


A New World

by MysticXMythic



Series: Gray's Story [2]
Category: Code Vein (Video Game), RWBY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:27:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticXMythic/pseuds/MysticXMythic
Series: Gray's Story [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663945
Kudos: 1





	1. Finding the starting line

_Gray's Perspective  
  
  
  
_ It had been roughly a week since I'd asked the question........ Roughly a week since I had it proven to me that she can't answer questions about the future. During that time I think I learned something else.  
  
  
As I looked to the table where the lamp sat; still glowing, I thought to myself, "Could it be that if she can't answer the question, it doesn't count?" There was only one way to find out. I picked up the lamp and held it lightly. I softly said her name. "Jinn."  
  
I watched as the world slowed to a stop and blue mist leaked from the lamp eventually coalescing into a large feminine figure. "Hello you old dog" She said with a smirk "I guess you figured that part out?"  
  
My response was a simple, dumbfounded "yeah..............guess I did."  
  
She smiled sadly "What's your question?" she asked plainly  
  
I looked up at her "How can I access the other worlds that the gods created?"   
  
She physically jolted as if I had slapped her "That...... That's something that humans shouldn't know! I can't just-"  
  
"Jinn" I interrupted quietly "this world may have been the one I was born in............ but it's all gone............... I don't want to stay here in a dead world........ if anything I'd like a chance to try again............. to try and do it right."  
  
The spirit hesitated. Finally after a bit she spoke "You would have to go to the land of light and use the light and dark magic given to you. It'll open a portal to the closest world."  
  
"Thank you Jinn.......... I.....I'm sorry that I asked that of you." was all I managed to say before she vanished and went to rest.  
  
  
The glow of the lamp dimmed until it was gone and time began moving again. I stood there for a moment before grabbing the lamp and gently setting it in a bag. I followed up by adding in some spare clothes, some food, and one of my longcoats. I grabbed the chain with three rings on it. I stared at it for a bit then carefully took off the least tarnished of them. It was a rather standard wedding ring. I smiled softly as I slid it onto my right ring finger then stuck the chain with the other two in my bag then finally put in a small medical kit. I closed up the bag and put on my other longcoat, slinging the pack over my shoulder once I was standing. I looked at Parabellum and slid it into its partial scabbard on my back. I walked out the door and for the first time in a little over three millennia I locked the door. As I started walking it was good to not have to worry, the house was coated in the black glass I could make that could weather just about anything and was neigh unbreakable.   
  
  
  
_Days Later  
  
  
  
_ I'd finally managed to reach the land of light. It was a lot to take in. The pool in the center of the small oasis type area still shimmered like a polished mirror. I stood there and focused the twin light and dark magic I possessed and before my eyes a portal opened. Through it I could see golden fields of long grass. I braced myself and went through.  
  
  
  
 _ **OooOooOoooOOoo**_  
  
  
  
Once on the other side of the portal I found myself at a small alter of worship. It looked.....ancient.. but how ancient didn't concern me quite as much as the large wall of red mist that sat not too far away and a large dark figure looming further off in the distance. I moved toward the wall and carefully went through. I was in the outskirts of a city. Quickly i grabbed my mask off my hip and slid it into place and started moving forward. After not seeing anything for a bit I was worried i was in another ghost world when i saw a figure sitting by the edge of what looked to be a sheer drop.  
  
  
"Hey!" I shouted "That's dangerous! You could fall!"  
  
  
When they didn't react I moved towards them. They quickly turned towards me as I drew closer and looked at me with glowing pale red eyes. It made an inhuman sound and stood up almost matching my height and swung at me with a corroded looking sword that I narrowly avoided.  
  
  
"Well then........Out of the frying pan." was all I said as I prepared myself for a fight.


	2. Who?

_Allison's perspective  
  
  
  
_ My head hurt and my vision was blurry as I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked a couple time and a strange girl came into my view.  
  
  
"Welcome back" She said  
  
  
I blinked again  
  
  
She blinked back with strange yellow eyes "Hello. How are you feeling?"  
  
I sat up and looked around. "Where..... Where am I?"  
  
She replied softly "Don't worry, it's okay. I don't remember either." She stood and turned. She pointed down the street we were on "Over there."  
  
  
I got up and felt my insides practically scream at the action. I followed her over to what appeared to be a white and very dead plant. She was saying something but i could hardly hear her as I lurched forward feeling a strange stirring within me. I felt my arm lifted and a gentle pinch. My blood fell on to the plant and it started glowing then it began to sprout.  
  
  
Small oddly shaped glass baubles filled with red fluid slowly appeared. She turned towards me and i saw a little blood around her mouth. "So it is you." She grabs one and offers it to me.  
  
  
I take it from her and instinctively bite the point where a small stopper sits breaking it and let the fluid drain out down my throat. Once empty i drop it and begin to feel tired. I slump forward and pass out.  
  
  
  
 _Some time later_  
  
  
  
I walked through an underground cavern worrying about the strange girl up above, kind Oliver who i left back a good distance, and myself as i tried to deal with the abominations around me now that the strange boy who had helped earlier vanished. Thankfully i could see the light so I was almost out. As i stepped into the light i was greeted by the sight of my captors and the strange girl lying all over the ground with a familiar crouched among them.  
  
  
"Oliver? You're ok?" I started to approach when he turned and looked at me with glowing pale red eyes.  
  
He swung his hammer at me when the stranger appeared and deftly parried the blow "He's become one of the lost. Don't let your doubt consume you." was all he said before assuming a battle stance.  
  
  
I looked at the girl and nodded as the now lost Oliver Collins roared and charged us both  
  
  
  
 _Not too much later  
Home base  
  
  
  
_I looked out at the world from the balcony with the girl in white that i still didn't know the name of. A thick red mist seemed to surround everything. I heard footsteps behind me "Ugly isn't it." It was Louis "It appeared after the Queen was defeated trapping revenants and lost inside. Many call it the Gaol of the Mists. Nearly everyone looks for blood beads where they can find them........... You revitalized a blood spring..... do you remember where you learned to do that?"  
  
I turned to him and shook my head "I'm sorry. I don't"  
  
"Do you remember anything?" he asked  
  
"Only that my name is........was.........is Allison" I replied with a sad smile.  
  
"It's unusual for someone to be missing so much of their memory" he said "sadly the same must have happened to her" he gestured towards the girl who seemed lost in thought.  
  
  
  
 _The next day  
  
  
  
_ I walked with Louis and Yakumo as we tried to find the human that the revenant from the parking garage was looking for. After a bit my thoughts turned to Io... the first person i met when i woke up. My thoughts were swiftly interrupted by a sword flying passed my face and sticking in the wall. Apparently Louis and Yakumo were similarly caught off guard. We went to investigate down the direction the sword came from and saw haze everywhere and a large figure fighting a lost in hand to hand combat.  
  
  
"You......You're both seeing this too right?" Yakumo asked  
  
"I am but I dont know what exactly it is I'm seeing" Louis replied.  
  
  
I was about to respond when the figure beat the brawler only to get impaled through the chest by a lost wielding a sword. It started pulling the sword back when the figure grabbed it arm and pulled it close. In one quick movement, the sword wielding lost was headless and pinned to the ground by its own sword. The figure shouts and slowly falls forward.  
  
  
"Was.....Was that a type of lost?" I asked as we all moved forward  
  
"If it was, it's not one I'm familiar with" Louis responded before all of us were blindsided by the sudden smell. We flipped the figure over and saw a small pool of blood beneath.......him  
  
"He's....human? But how?" was all Yakumo added as we continued forward  
  
"No idea. But he was a hell of a fighter." I said back  
  
  
There was a thud from our right. We looked over and saw a large lost with a hammer running at us. We didn't have time to dodge so we prepared to block. We heard a thunk then silence. We looked towards the hammer head and saw an odd black glass hand on it. Slowly a second hand reaches out and grips the haft of the hammer.  
  
  
"You aren't hurting them. Not if I can help it." a voice said behind us. Before we can respond the lost and its hammer are gone and the figure we saw on the ground earlier steps in front of us. "You three ok?"  
  
"You.....But..." Was all Louis could get out  
  
"Yes. but that's not important. You with the other jerk hunting the girl?" he asked bluntly  
  
"No we aren't. we want to find her before them" I responded  
  
  
The figure nodded and stuck on a mask before following us to an area where the revenant was holding a girl by the arm and trying to pull her along. Suddenly from above a creature descended and knocked him away, The stranger ran and stood over him as Me, Louis, and Yakumo got ready to fight


	3. Helping hand

_Gray's Perspective_  
  
  
  
The three I had come across seemed like genuinely good people. And something I didn't expect was that much like myself they didn't seem to stay dead. That ended up being helpful in taking down the strange moth creature which they did after 3 attempts. The biggest of them was named Yakumo and he was a heavy hitter with a two-handed sword. The other man seemed to be the leader. His name was Louis and he used a one-handed sword. The girl among them I learned was named Allison and she seemed to use whatever fit the situation. After Louis threw a bag to the rude revenant from earlier, we ended up finding the girl from earlier, who thanks to quick thinking from Louis was brought down from killing herself and given what looked to be a small note to help her find someone who could get her to a shelter.   
  
  
As they started going forward I turned to the girl and took off my false breathing mask "Well....... I guess I may as well try to help you to where you're going."  
  
  
She hesitated and I felt fear coming from her. I couldn't blame her on that. As I turned to leave however I felt something grab the sleeve of my coat.  
  
  
I turned towards the girl "Ok...... It'll be nice to have a bit of protection." was all she said before she started off, leaving me to catch up to her.  
  
After a bit we entered an area I was familiar with and I stopped her in front of a building. "Before we go any further lets stop. I've been staying here so I know it's safe and there's something we need to do before we move on."  
  
"And that would be?" she asked  
  
"I have a coat like the one the redhead was wearing..... I was sadly too late to save the one who was wearing it previously as they turned to ash...... i also found some untouched masks...... I know you probably dont trust me and I dont blame you so..." I lead her in.  
  
  
It was an old store from the looks of the displays. I rolled up my sleeve and heard a soft gasp from her. Of course she saw the scars.....Everyone always did. From my arms, glowing orange crystals grew and quickly shattered then turned into a black glass wall. Another round of crystals and a knife and bucket of the same material were soon present. Instead of orange crystals, on the third round blue ones instead appeared. When the cracked and shattered the blue dust filled the bucket and turned to water.  
  
  
"What the hell are you?" I heard her ask  
  
"Someone trying to help." I responded as I pulled out an unopened bar of soap "Our clothes are soaked with blood and you have an open wound. That wall will prevent us from seeing each other. I want you to get yourself and your clothes cleaned up so you'll be a bit better off and then let me take a look at that cut on your arm."  
  
"Why should I?" she asked slightly irate  
  
"My guess is their contact is a revenant. I don't know about you but I don't want to run the risk of frenzying them" I said as I handed her the knife, bar of soap, bucket, mask, and jacket.  
  
  
She seemed hesitant then took them and went on the other side of the wall. Once she did I started cleaning myself, my coat, and my pants. Once done i was about to dry off when I heard the bucket clatter along the floor.  
  
  
"My clothes are washed but I need new water for myself" was all she said.  
  
"Let me know when you have the bucket" I responded after filling it. I used my control of the dust to float it around the wall.  
  
"Got it" I heard her say and left it to her to do as she needed.  
  
  
After drying off I started stitching up my jacket and shrugged it on as she walked around the wall soaking wet and holding the knife, jacket, and mask.  
  
"Stand still" I said as red crystals grew from my arm and quickly shattered, their dust turning into a flame in the palm of my hand.  
  
  
"Wait!" she said as the flames shot passed her and dried her off.  
  
  
She retaliated by throwing the knife and sticking it in my arm. I winced slightly then pulled it out and watched my arm knit itself back together. Once it finished I rolled down my sleeve and grabbed my medical kit.  
  
  
"I thought you said you weren't one of them!?" she practically screamed as she curled up.  
  
"I'm not" I replied as i looked at the cut and carefully applied liquid bandage to it. "Thankfully the cut wasn't that bad. Now we should probably get you out of this hell" I said as I slipped on my mask.  
  
  
  
 _Some time later_  
  
  
We had found the place and I had passed Aria off to the contact; a man named Davis. There were three others present in the form of a young girl wearing a breathing mask behind a counter who went by Murasame, a slightly older woman with greyish eyes named Coco, and a girl who seemed to stay asleep most of the time named Io. I was deflecting a couple quesitons from Murasame, when Io sat up and looked at me with odd yellow eyes.  
  
"Something's different about you...." she said in an almost eerie fashion and slowly walked around me. "You're a human........ one that's like a revenant but at the same time so very different"  
  
  
Coco and Murasame looked at each other with intense surprise then back at me.  
  
  
I was about to explain myself when I heard three rapidly approaching pairs of feet. "I'll explain later" was all i managed to get out before Lois, Yakumo and Allison burst through the door with a second girl being carried; despite her thrashing, by Yakumo.


	4. The Beast within

_Allison's Perspective  
  
  
  
_ Mido had taken Gray............ And somehow......... due to his unique situation Mido had managed to force him to become the Successor of the Spine. The very crypt we first saw Jack and Eva at, was now his cage. We arrived in the trenches and immediately we noticed something wrong. The landscape was warping as if the earth itself were alive.  
  
  
"What the hell is happening?" was all i heard from Yakumo and though none of us responded, it seemed we all agreed somewhat  
  
  
We started the trek to the crypt, encountering little resistance until we reached the crypt.  
  
  
"Incredible" said Jack "and you said he was a human?"  
  
  
"Yeah. We saw him get run through and then smelled the blood after." I replied "That said he's stronger than any revenant I've ever seen and possesses comparable healing to the Queen......If not better."  
  
  
Before anyone else could say anything Gray roared, revealing a mouth of wolf-like teeth and tore at the mask covering part of his face,  
  
  
"Shit! He must be getting close to frenzy!" Louis shouted drawing his attention.  
  
"Get ready to......wait......... the relic is calm and he's showing no signs of rejection......" Jack said "its almost as if something small is disagreeing with it being in him"  
  
  
There was a soft thud as Gray leaned against the dome around the crypt.  
  
  
"You.....you should't be here.... it's dangerous." he said wincing as he looked at his hand which was slowly changing before us all.  
  
  
"We're going to save you how ever we can." Louis started to say before the towering man chuckled.  
  
"I can't let you do that. You all need to stay safe." He said as his jacket was torn; showing a torso covered in so much scar tissue it was practically his skin, by white crystals that were growing from his arms, back, and collar bone. They cracked making a loud tinging noise. "Now please.... get out of here." They fractured and turned to dust that formed a spiraling wind around his arm. He quickly waved it and a strong gust knocked us all back. He roared again.  
  
  
"I think we'll need the others for this one." Yakumo said  
  
"Yeah.... You're right" Louis responded.  
  
  
We went to the mistle and and went back to base; coming back when we had managed to get Coco, Murasame, and Davis to join us. When we came back ;however, we didn't see him.......or.....anything really. I opened the crypt and walked in, the others not too far behind.  
  
  
"Where........is he?" Coco said  
  
  
Before any of us could say anything, there was a loud beast like roar. We all turned toward the noise and back-pedaled at the beast behind us.  
[(click here)](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/606437120147587092/681591737566888013/Gray_grimm_hellhound.jpg)  
  
  
"Is that him!?" shouted Murasame  
  
"It is. He looks like no lost I have ever seen" replied Jack as he assumed a fighting stance. "But we need to stop him and save him if possible.  
  
"Right!" the rest of us shouted in agreement as the beast that was once Gray howled; starting our fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the drawing for his beast form was a partial recreation and slight recolor of an awesome artwork made by Ningeko on deviantart.  
> Here's the link: https://www.deviantart.com/ningeko/art/Adopt-Extra-Demon-wolf-concept-771716285
> 
> I strongly recommend checking out some of their other art as well as it is all pretty awesome to look at.
> 
> If you somehow manage to find and read this Ningeko im sorry.


	5. Aeternum

_Allison's Perspective_  
  
  
It took us a few tries but we eventually manged to beat the beast Gray had become. However he rose shortly after; back to normal.  
  
  
"The relic..... it needs to be removed." was all he said.  
  
"But how? You don't fall to ash like us revenants." Davis responded.  
  
"Then reduce me to ash if you must." Gray said sullenly  
  
  
No one wanted to but eventually we did as he said. The relic slowly rose from his ashes. I moved closer and I felt something strange. He had imprinted on it. I lifted my hand to it and slowly we were pulled in.  
  
 ** _  
  
OOoOoooOoooOo  
  
  
  
  
_** We were in that strange memory world again..........but this time it looked like it was in a room with five doors.  
  
  
"Well this is different." Louis said  
  
  
I looked to him as a glow shone from one of the doors. We slowly approached it and saw what looked to be a jail cell. A small boy sat on the ground while a man stood over him  
  
  
"Gray I have a question for you. What do you want more than anything?" said the man  
  
"I.......... I want to make a difference..... to not be judged for who and what I am........" said the clearly much younger Gray  
  
"I'd like to offer you a chance then. Come with me and the others and become a huntsman. It'll be tough but you'll be able to make a change like you want. How does that sound?" the man said with a soft smile  
  
  
With that line the light in the room went out and another door opened. We moved to it and saw what looked to be a forest.  
  
  
"Hello Professor." he seemed to be using a phone of sorts "I have some good news for you when I get back as well as a new idea for the mask."  
  
  
As with the previous the light went out and another door opened, and we moved to it. It was snowing in this one and there looked to be a girl against a tree. A somewhat familiar silhouette nearby.  
  
  
"What the?" said the voice they now recognized as Gray in his late teens. There was the sound of crunching snow. "How are you here?....and.... why?". The sound of two fabrics rubbing together and the dull sound of heavy buttons hitting heavy fabric soon followed. The lights flickered and he was carrying her "There's an inn not to far from here. Lets get you inside somewhere and warmed up."  
  
  
The light went out and a door opened. The glow here was a harsh red. We moved closer and saw Gray with a woman in front of him with a sword through both their chests  
  
"This......... Won't..... Work..... I'll come back....... I always........Come back." the woman's voice was weak  
  
"No....... It stops here.." said Gray.   
  
There was a soft breezy sound then a thud. After a bit the sound of the sword being pulled out could be heard followed by a softer thud. The lights flickered and Gray was laying on his back with someone over him holding the sword. "No! His aura is fading! HELP!! Someone! Help!" shouted the young sounding man over him.  
  
"You're being really loud Jaune..... I'll be fine.... I'm just a little tired" came Gray's weak response.  
  
  
The glow went out and the final door opened to a path. As we walked along it we saw small scenes. Weddings, celebrations of all kinds. And sad scenes off loss. The last they saw before a clearing up ahead was Gray holding the girl from the snow memory while shouting;his raw voice almost souning like the roar of the beast he had turned into. In the clearing were twenty five gravestones. Each had a flower and Gray stood looking over all of them like a sentinel. Another path led to a small cottage type house. We moved closer and inside we saw Gray and a woman that stood taller than even Mido had stood.  
  
  
  
"You look well old man. Though I suppose being locked at a specific age makes that easy." the woman said with a rich and teasing voice.  
  
"That's rich coming from you who doesn't age and is older than me by at least a millennia." came Gray's retort  
  
"That makes you what at this point? Five million six hundred twenty six?" she asked him.  
  
"Seven..... Five million six hundred twenty seven. Birthday was yesterday" he quickly corrected  
  
After a pause she spoke up "What's your question?"  
  
There was a soft clunking sound "Will it ever get easier? Being alone like this because everything around me will wither and die?" was his question. There was silence then slowly a fire began to be heard "Yeah........ I thought you might not have an answer for that one."   
  
  
The door closed behind us then opened showing an outside view of the mist and Gray staring at it.  
  
  
"A fresh beginning" we all turned to see Gray, his mask gone and his bangs brushed aside showing a portion of his face was bone white and his left eye was bright red on black. "Thats what i was looking for when I got here" He looked down at us. "I think time is about done here. I should be back rather quick once you've returned" Soon everything got bright white.  
  
  
  
 _ **OOOOOoOOooOoOooOo  
  
  
  
**_ We awoke back in the real world and the relic shot off as the ashes slowly spiraled and glowed until Gray stood before us again. Yakumo and Davis quickly ran over to catch him as he slumped forward and we drug him to the mistle nearby and went back to base. We left him there to rest with Davis, Coco, and Murasame as they usually stayed there or did other things. As I went to the mistle however I saw that there seemed to be a new blood code available that had it's own gifts. It was completely unusable but i could look into it's name and description.  
  
  
[Asura](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/606437120147587092/695461026023473192/Asura_Blood_Code.jpg)


	6. Preparing

_Gray's Perspective  
  
  
  
_ I was vaguely aware of another close by. As my eyes slowly opened I notice i was on a bed. Murasame was on the floor with a medical kit next to her and her head against the mattress. Looking around i saw that i was in the room Mia was put in to rest when she was on the verge of frenzy. I got up slowly and walked to a desk where my sword lay in its partial sheathe and my longcoat hung on the chair tattered and shredded from my transformation. I saw my bag by the desk and dug out a shirt to wear. I walked out into the main room where music softly played from the jukebox.  
  
  
"Good to see you're still with us" I turned to Davis as he spoke "They said you were a human that possessed powers comparable to the Queen. Not gonna lie I'm surprised your back up running around. "  
  
"Yeah" I said "Unfortunately it takes a lot to keep me down"  
  
"I can tell." he responded "Coco and Murasame had a bet to see who would be taking care of you. You may want to check on her in the hot springs"  
  
"Me? Why?" I asked  
  
"She was a mother once. none of us can really connect with her on that" he said plainly  
  
  
I nodded and went towards the hot spring. Upon entering i saw a small door and went in to change into a towel. Once finished I walked out and waded in to the spring. i didn't see her but the water was rather warm so i decided to sit down and relax.  
  
  
"Ahh~ nice and warm~" I said softly as i felt the warm water help soothe my muscles and nerves slightly  
  
  
I heard a splash next to me and looked to see her just now walking in. I watched as she sat down as well letting out a soft sigh. After that we sat there in silence, neither of us looking or saying anything to each other. Eventually the silence was broken  
  
  
"So.......an immortal..... that's pretty unexpected" Coco said clearly unsure what to say in the situation.  
  
"Yeah........It's been a wild ride" I replied hesitantly.  
  
More silence. "You married..... i saw that in the memories. Did..... Did you have any kids?" Coco asked awkwardly  
  
"I did. I married 3 different times.... to three very different women and had one child with each of them.......... and went roughly sixty years with the last two and waited about five years before trying again on all of them. The only exception was the first wife. She was kind of hoity, wanted a big ring. When she learned the truth about me she split then and there. We were together twenty four years." I said with a sigh  
  
"Well........ I may not remember much but if you ever need to talk to anyone about any of that I'm here" she said with a degree of motherliness in her voice.  
  
"Thank you Coco. That means a lot." I said with a soft smile.  
  
  
After that we stayed there a bit longer. I left eventually to go check on Murasame. I found her back in her usual place.  
  
  
"Oh! Hi Gray! Good to see you back up and running around!" she said enthusiastically  
  
"You too Murasame. So quick question. Could I get your help with a project i'm working on?" I asked her with a small smile  
  
"Depends on the project" she said plainly. While her mouth was hidden under her mask; I could almost hear the smirk it was turned up in.  
  
"Well my normal coat is thrashed, my spare is durable but not very protective and I have a blood veil or two that i cant use as well as assorted materials. Mind helping me do some jury rigging?" I gave her a toothy grin  
  
"Sure! Just let me grab my tool box" she responded giddily and went into her vault  
  
  
When she had her tools we went to the back room and got to work. I don't know how long it took but we stopped when we heard the others return. Murasame went out while I looked at the new coat in front of me. It was at one point a heavy, red, canvas-like piece of clothing that; judging by some of the repair work that was already there before they started, was at one point just heavy robes. They had been lengthened, split down the front, and had extensions added to make it capable of being closed around my form. It was reinforced on the entire inside with leather and between those layers was tightly ringed chainmail. Our work had seen the thrashed remains of my previous coat attached to the outside as extra protection for my vitals. The left over fabric was used to reinforce the joints. The tail piece to a stinger type blood veil had been attached and rigged so if I landed a drain it would store ichor in capsules so I could pass it to others. I slowly shrugged it on and clicked the breathing mask I wore as a disguise into place. I grabbed Parabellum and put it in its scabbard and felt the slight tingle as my arms and lower legs were coated with the black glass of Subtlety. I walked out to see everyone geared up and ready. I mentally triggered the tail and felt as it formed then saw it as it lowered itself over my shoulder.  
  
  
Everyone seemed shocked until Allison threw an empty bottle at me "Think fast" she said.  
  
The tail shot forward piercing the bottle. I retracted it and took off the mask "It's an adjustment for sure but I think I'll learn"  
  
The words earned me a pat on the back from Yakumo "Well if you think you're ready then perhaps you're ready" he said smiling.  
  
  
Everyone seemed to agree as we approached the mistle and I put back on my mask. There was a soft glow.  
  
  
  
 _ **OoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
  
  
**_ And when it dissipated we were somewhere else.  
  
  
"The Gaol of the Stagnant Blood. Where Silva sits upon the throne that keeps the red mist up" said Jack  
  
  
"Well then" said Louis "Let's not keep him waiting."


	7. Deja Vu

_Gray's Perspective  
A month after Io's sacrifice  
  
  
_  
Allison, Mia, Yakumo, Louis, and Murasame were expected back soon. Coco and I were busy cleaning up, while Davis was getting celebratory food and drink, leaving Jack and Eva to get the others to celebrate. In the time that a chunk of our little group was gone i had gotten myself scanned and evaluated by Aurora and Karen. They were supposedly bringing the results of all of that over as Allison was curious just what mysteries my blood code held. I imagine that her still having her void blood type; despite no longer being the successor of the blood, is probably what caused her to have this curiosity. There was a familiar figure on a bed off to the side and i had to stop myself from asking Io if she was ok.  
  
  
"Evora" I said and she looked up at me. Just like all the other attendants they were all practically carbon copies of each other. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Good. I've been thinking a lot about what she........Allison has shown me... Beyond just the memories of my sisters." was her soft reply.  
  
"That's good to hear. Sorry if I woke you." I said getting a nod in return as she laid back down.  
  
  
Apparently she had been waiting at the top of the elevator and they used her to view the memories of the other attendants. She had come down after the second fight with Silva and heard everything Io had said before her sacrifice. She had asked if she could join our little group as a fill in for her and before anyone could object, Louis said yes. She was entirely like Io in every way but her name, even down to the weapon she chose to use in combat and how she wielded it.  
  
  
These thoughts were interrupted by.....well....... everyone coming back. Above the cacophony of sound rose a certain redhead's voice "Hey you two we're back! Miss us?" Yakumo shouted.   
  
I looked at Coco smiling, getting one from her in return and shouted back from the bedroom we were cleaning "Not a bit. Was a lot quieter with you gone."  
  
At that, sounds of laughter could be heard. I looked to Coco and held my hand out to help her up. "You do know eventually they'll find out right?" she said as she accepted my hand and I got her back up and standing.  
  
"True, but until then I'm pretty sure only Davis knows. Or rather, he's the only one to thread together our loss as grounds for support." I said quietly as i kissed her cheek earning a soft laugh.  
  
"Just try and keep it on a need to know basis love" she said with a soft smirk and walked out to greet them.  
  
I rolled up my sleeves while smirking and walked out with green crystals poking out of my forearms that shattered and scattered dust out on the balcony edge slowly causing small flowers to take bloom. "Welcome back everyone" I greeted them "So I guess its time to celebrate?"  
  
  
There was a round of cheering as Karen discreetly passed me a copy of the report then went to go catch up with her brother.  
  
  
  
_After the party_  
  
  
  
Small purple crystals grew from my arm that slowly cracked then fizzled and soaked into one of the couches. Following this Mia grabbed the couch and lifted it with surprising ease  
  
  
"Interesting. And you said you've always had this ability?" Louis asked me  
  
"Yeah. finding a good purpose for it is something else entirely though" I responded then sighed  
  
Allison sat down in a chair and looked at Louis and I. She simply asked "Comparing stories of what happened while we were spread out?"  
  
"Yeah" I said "Crazy to believe that everything beyond the mist is oddly calm once you get further away."  
  
"Agreed" said Louis "And now that the levy system is almost obsolete due to an abundance of blood beads i don't think there's much of anything immediately to do."  
  
I looked to Coco and she nodded slightly. Looking to Davis I saw him do the same. :"Well. i did have an idea. You see.... I may have found a way to get back to my world.......... You all could come with me and explore around if you wanted?"  
  
The shock on Karen, Aurora, and Louis' faces was absolute, while the soft smile on Allison's was noticed and returned "Well....... It couldn't hurt right?" Said Karen  
  
"No" Louis responded, the shock fading and replacing itself with a smile "No I dont think it would hurt anything"  
  
  
  
_The Next Day  
The old Alter beyond the mist  
Allison's perspective  
  
  
  
  
_We all stood together outside the veil of mist. This was where he crossed into our world. Before us stood a solid black door in a solid black frame. Gray was using the strange powers he had to supposedly link it back to his world.  
  
  
I looked to Louis "So, we go in as a vanguard of sorts and if we don't immediately return, the others come through?" I asked for confirmation  
  
"I believe that was the plan yes" Louis responded.   
  
  
The door opened and we walked through.  
  
  
  
_**OOooOOOooOOooOo  
  
  
  
**_On the other side of the door we appeared in a house. It was however a far-cry from the dead world we were told to expect. A fire was heard at the end of the hall we were in along with laughter.   
  
Louis put a hand on my shoulder "I thought he said his world was gone?"  
  
"Same" I responded. "So who the hell are they?"  
  
  
There were two more that came through the door. Jack and Eva. We pulled them to the side still curious. We all checked into that room as best as we could. The people in there were familiar but it was hard for any of us to place why. This continued for everyone that came through with all of us feeling the exact same  
  
  
Finally Gray and Evora came through but Gray immediately tensed when he heard the laughter. "N-no.....that.....that's not possible" he said in disbelief as he walked out into the room and everything went silent.   
  
Jack and I cloaked ourselves and snuck forward. A girl with lilac purple eyes and golden hair stood up and looked at him along with a smaller girl with pink and brown hair that was holding a notepad. "Holy shit........ Gray? What........is that you? What happened?" said the blonde  
  
"A lot......... How.....How are you all here?" Gray said  
  
"What do you mean?" said a man with red eyes and a raspy, slightly dry sounding voice "You're the one who up and disappeared"  
  
"I.....what?" Gray said looking like he was about to pass out.  
  
  
The small girl grabbed his arm and handed him the notebook. He read it multiple times before falling to his knees and hugging her and getting a hug back from her as he shook with sobs.  
  
  
"I wish it had only been a month for me too Neo. I really wish that was all it had been"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Research Report on Ire Gray by Aurora Valentino & Karen  
> Subject Blood code: Asura
> 
> Speed:  
> Top standard running speed: 30 mph  
> Top humanoid sprint speed: 50 mph  
> Top beast form speed: 70 mph  
> while standing in place, Gray showed the capability to dodge close range, high velocity projectiles.
> 
> Strength:  
> strength testing still undergoing. He seems to be able to move with little issue carrying weights upwards of 1 ton currently at one and a half. more testing is needed.   
> on a lifting test he maxed out at.......... lifting a building along with its foundation....... Silva was not happy about that
> 
> Durability and Regeneration:   
> Gray's regeneration stems from two sources. His "aura" seems to be the basis of his regeneration. The second is light "magic". even with his aura inactive, the "magic" provides more effective regeneration than what the standard revenant possesses.  
> His durability is..... frightening. This aura of his acts almost as a protective barrier that is constantly refreshing itself. Even when it's blocked; as stated above, he regenerates damage over time. It takes immense damage to surpass that but while we did test it, our results showed that he could still........function........ to a degree that; despite lethal/crippling levels of damage over 80% of him, had him on par with Jack...... It's because of this that we to look into more about his physiology though it would have to wait till his body finished healing.
> 
> Physiology:  
> At first glance he is of muscular build bot not overly so. this may be part of his wolf like traits which would cause him to be naturally on the leaner end of the spectrum. He has little visible muscle definition due to high amounts of scarring.   
> Going under the skin we learned that he has incredibly dense bone and muscle tissue, likely due to many years of strengthening both as he had little else to do. he also has extra skeletal structures that seem to be even denser. these line up with the areas on his arms, back and along his collar bone that he has been able to grow his crystals from.
> 
> more notes will follow with time


End file.
